1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to footwear. More particularly, the present invention relates to footwear having interchangeable components such as sole, cushion, insole, and upper member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of footwear, wearers differ in individual tastes and physical requirements. Therefore there exists a need for people to customize their own footwear according to their individual needs. For example, individual persons prefer a wide range of styles and colors of footwear. Also, individual persons have unique physical characteristics and participate in different types of activities, which could cause footwear to wear in different places.
Due to these factors, many different styles of footwear have been developed based on the persons individual tastes and needs. These different styles still may not fit every person's needs and tastes. Therefore, it is desirable for a person to select a style of footwear he/she prefers and then customize the footwear to his/her characteristics and activities.
Numerous innovations for footwear having interchangeable components have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention as hereinafter contrasted.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,661 to Razlaff et al. discloses a shoe which may be used to measure and analyze the forces exerted by a wearer during normal activities. This patent differs from the present invention in that it does not have component parts which are interchangeable to suit the individual needs of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,646,497 to Gillikin et al. and 4,219,946 to Baum et at. both disclose a shoe that has an interchangeable heel. This patent differs from the present invention because the heels are only interchangeable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,642 to Liao et at. discloses a shoe with interchangeable uppers. This patent differs from the present invention because the uppers are only interchangeable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,822 to Johnson et al. discloses an athletic shoe with an interchangeable sole. This patent differs from the present invention because the soles are only interchangeable and attached to the athletic shoe by VELCRO(TM) and interlocking devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,288 to Henson et. al. discloses an athletic shoe with permanently attached interchangeable sole inserts. This patent differs from the present invention because only the sole inserts are interchangeable and they are permanently attached.
Numerous innovations for footwear with interchangeable components have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.